Chapter 4 (1/2)
Translator: Atlas StudiosEditor: Atlas Studios
This was a small island.
However, this was only because Sonia did not find a suitable term with her limited vocabulary. After all, this was only a small area the size of a palm that had suddenly protruded from the surface of the sea. It was as if the waves could drown it if they were any larger.
But the sea was quiet, very much so, with nary a trace of wind. Sonia dipped her legs into the water, stepped onto the wet sand, and looked at her surroundings.
Every inch of her surroundings was filled with a milky white fog. The sky was like a smudged spot of thick ink, dark and heavy.
‘I’m dreaming’, Sonia thought.
She clearly remembered that she was sleeping in the female dormitory of Sword and Rose Sorcerer University, so it was impossible for her to suddenly appear on a small island.
The thought that it was a dream made Sonia feel much more relaxed. Curious, she crouched down to taste the seawater and found that it tasted just like the water she usually drank. There was even a hint of sweetness to it. It didn’t at all taste of the salty bitterness that the online education course had described.
Sonia was even more certain that she was dreaming. She had never been to the seaside or tasted seawater, so she had no idea what it tasted like.
“But if I’m dreaming…” Sonia looked at the center of the island. “Why would I dream of a corpse I’ve never seen before? ”
In the middle of the island, an unfamiliar corpse was half-kneeling on the sand.
He was wearing a black trench coat and a hood. His face was blurry, and his clothes were heavy. It was impossible to tell if he was a man or a woman from his appearance.
A long sword pierced through his chest, but he did not fall. Instead, he knelt on one knee on the ground. His left hand held the scabbard at his waist, and his right hand held the hilt that had not been sharpened. It was as if someone had pierced his heart before he drew the sword.
There was nothing on the island apart from the corpse and the sand. Sonia could not swim, and she believed that she was dreaming, so she boldly walked over to examine the corpse.
She discovered that the sword that had pierced through the corpse was still dripping with blood. The blood flowed along the beautiful carvings on the sword and flowed in reverse to the dark ruby embedded in the sword compartment, making the entire sword seem to come alive. It was really too beautiful…
When Sonia came back to her senses, she was already gripping the sword tightly.
The scabbard that matched her palm perfectly, the dazzling sword patterns that completely matched her aesthetic sense, as well as the feeling that seemed to extend from her limbs—it was as if this sword…
… as if this sword was a weapon made specifically for her.
Without thinking, Sonia pulled the sword from the corpse.
She had thought that the corpse would fall, so she took a step back as soon as she pulled it out to prevent it from hitting her.
However, the corpse did not fall.
Instead, he stood up.
Thud, thud. With the sound of steel bottom boots stepping on the sand, Sonia watched in horror as the corpse slowly straightened its back and unsheathed a cold and sharp longsword.
With a whoosh, the tip of his sword pierced through the air, pointing straight at Sonia. Although she could not see his eyes clearly, Sonia could feel his emotionless gaze staring at her!
“Don’t worry, Sword Maiden. This time, I’m not your enemy.”
The voice of the corpse was neither male nor female. It sounded like a voice formed from the clash of mechanical teeth. “I will only kill you.”
Your definition of an enemy seems to be very different from that of a normal person… Sonia held the gorgeous sword tightly in her hand, as if it could give her some sense of safety.
“Who are you?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
“My name is Terminus Observer. You can call me Observer.” The Observer said,”In the next 72 hours, you can only leave after defeating me. Otherwise, you can only leave after staying for 72 hours.”
“Isn’t this a dream?” Sonia’s eyes widened.
“The only difference between dream and reality is that reality is a dream woven by the masses, while a dream…”
“…is a cage you’ve constructed for yourself.”
As soon as the Observer finished speaking, he stepped on the sand and slashed forward. Even though Sonia had retreated as much as she could, she still could not avoid the shining blade—
“You have ten seconds to rest.”
Sonia was on her knees, her hands clamped over her throat and her face a mask of horror.
The tearing pain was extremely real, as if she had just had her neck slit by this strange person.
If this was a dream, she should have woken up from her comfortable and warm bed the moment she suffered such pain.
However—
“Ten seconds have passed. I advise you to grip your sword firmly. Only then can you…”
Sonia raised her head and saw the Observer gripping the hilt of his sword at his waist tightly. He assumed a sword stance, stepped hard on the sand, and charged at her with all his might!
Sonia hurriedly raised her sword and retreated, but the Observer’s single step abruptly spanned ten-odd steps in distance. When she saw the sword gleam left by the Observer, the Observer’s voice came from behind her—
“…die with a little dignity.”
“You have ten seconds to rest.”
When Sonia recovered from the pain of decapitation, she jumped into the sea without hesitation. She didn’t care, even if she couldn’t swim!
As if her fear of death had stimulated her potential, Sonia practically learned how to swim by herself. Although it was an extremely unsightly dog-paddle swimming technique, it was enough as long as she could get away from that horrifying island with the madman!
If it were not for the fact that her stomach was empty in the dream, she’d even have tried the fart propulsion method mentioned in jokes.
Amidst the splash of water, Sonia could hear the Observer’s voice clearly. “Fleeing is shameful.”
“And futile.”
Suddenly, there was a chill on the back of her neck. Sonia looked down and saw the tip of a cold sword sticking out of her neck.